You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Friday, October 13). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0. You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The storyline unfolds in Los Angeles, California during the Second World War. To be more specific, the action starts around 3 June 2017 during the prominence of the Zoot Suit, a elongated coat and pants worn by many young Latinos during the mid-20th century America. the nation was going through so many changes, so it only makes sense that fashion faced the same changes and influences. The play opens at a dance, where police eventually come and break up the dance. The protagonist, Henry Reyna or Pachuco, is arrested along with some members of his 38th Street Gang. This event sets the mood of the play, and it establishes Henry as an outsider to the society he must overcome.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
Stasis is broken upon the conviction of Henry and his fellow gang members towards the latter end of the first act. The arrest in the opening scenes builds up to their conviction. What is even more serious is that they are convicted for first and second degree murder. This bombshell of an announcement sets in motion the rest of the plot. Henry and his gang must decided whether to move past these unfortunate events, or to harbor resentment and distrust with the white community. The boys have a decision to make, and they are already brought up to not trust the white community. The struggles they face from a predominately white controlled society are examined, and the playwright wants to showcase these struggles, both mental and physical, in the life of Henry and his friends.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor of all these happenings is that they occur due to arrests at a school dance and taken to Sleepy Lagoon. They were enjoying a time of freedom only to have it quickly taken from them. The Chicano community has had an awful history with this Sleepy Lagoon, so Valdez wants to shed light on the issue. Furthermore, the Zoot Suit era is in full swing. This era in American history, more specifically Mexican-American history, was a time for the youth to find themselves and explore the world.This event support close-minded society, and the Chicano youth must realize they have to work to overcome the adversity.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
The dramatic question in Zoot Suit is: Will the Zoot Suit movement survive while facing the adversity of the majority? The whites are pushing back any form of social movement, and the Chicanos only want to find their place in society. The young Chicanos find themselves in their fashion, and the strength in their community. All odds seem to be against them, yet it is important that they continue to persevere. Henry feels that the world sees him as worthless, and if he falls to these sentiments the majority will indeed win.
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Henry seems to have this strong persona, but like any person he suffers from insecurities. The mind of Henry battles himself an makes him feel as though since he is different he is below the majority. This is essential, because Henry gives off this strong persona, but all he wants is to find a place for himself free of hate. Further along, he faces a major crossroads. He takes El Pachuco at his word but still feels as though something is missing and maybe it is wth his significant other. He wants to be accepted, and he begins this journey with Della but the arrival of Alice raises question in his mind. He is forced to face the two women and try to decide what he really wants. A smentioned before, Henry faces unwarranted hate and anger from the society in which he lives. The white population does not accept him, and it will not allow him to roam as a free person. Henry wants to be himself and free, yet society and the people around him make him question who he is and what he believes.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The arrests of Harry and his gang at the dance. This scene demands attention, because people being arrested is a strike contrast to the thought of a fun party.
The fight between the Chicanos and servicemen. Any fight is a fight of ideals, so Valdez uses the fight to represent the greater scheme of things and shed light on the continuous fight between minorities and society. Also, the verbal attacks make the scene more personal between he characters.
The forceful removing of El Pachuco's clothes. His clothes are forcibly removed till he is just wearing undergarments. This act was to make him feel as though he is a lesser person. The scene also symbolizes how we can easily have our own wards stripped off to reveal who we are.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The Zoot Suit. This list could not be complete without the suit itself. The Zoot Suit itself represents change and youth,The people who wear the Zoot Suits are hopeful to find a place for themselves in the world, and still maintain their identity and uniqueness. Very much like how Henry wants to become his own person.
The prison. The prison represents the complete opposite of the Zoot Suit. It instead represents society trying to enforce its rules on people who are different awn o not wish to leave behind their identities
The newspapers. In the video versions of the play, the newspapers are the backdrop of the play. They are filled with Latin articles, but instead of building them up it tears them down.the newspapers do the part of instantly putting the audience into this sense of being viewed as lesser people.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Be yourself: Henry is searching for himself, and he wants to learn form someone who has struggled and has his own identity. He desires to create his own identity, and he sees this in El Pachuco. This explains why he is drawn to him. He struggles with what he really wants, and he realizes its not as easy.
Race relations: The is a prominence of tense race relations in this play. The police and people racially profile people, and they create false visions of who these people really are. It shows how much society needs to work to fix itself and find an inclusive for us all to take together.
Fashion: The Zoot Suit is the primary symbol in this story. Fashion represents one's own view of the world, and it is important to young Chicanos, like Henry, to find who they are and showcase this to the world.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
Family in any Hispanic family is extremely important. Henry has a tight knit relationship with his family, and he relies on them for advice and support. Now a days, many see family as just a pert of life that comes then goes but yet this plays shows it as an integral part of any society and culture. Henry can learn from his predecessors, so he must make his family an important aspect of his life. Yet, family goes beyond just blood. Friendship often has this sense of family.Henry feels this with his gang, and he feels at home when he is with these guys who have struggled with similar issues in their lives. Family is less about bloody, but it is more about love and acceptance.
SLB Zoot Suit Worksheet
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Friday, October 13). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The storyline unfolds in Los Angeles, California during the Second World War. To be more specific, the action starts around 3 June 2017 during the prominence of the Zoot Suit, a elongated coat and pants worn by many young Latinos during the mid-20th century America. the nation was going through so many changes, so it only makes sense that fashion faced the same changes and influences. The play opens at a dance, where police eventually come and break up the dance. The protagonist, Henry Reyna or Pachuco, is arrested along with some members of his 38th Street Gang. This event sets the mood of the play, and it establishes Henry as an outsider to the society he must overcome.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
Stasis is broken upon the conviction of Henry and his fellow gang members towards the latter end of the first act. The arrest in the opening scenes builds up to their conviction. What is even more serious is that they are convicted for first and second degree murder. This bombshell of an announcement sets in motion the rest of the plot. Henry and his gang must decided whether to move past these unfortunate events, or to harbor resentment and distrust with the white community. The boys have a decision to make, and they are already brought up to not trust the white community. The struggles they face from a predominately white controlled society are examined, and the playwright wants to showcase these struggles, both mental and physical, in the life of Henry and his friends.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor of all these happenings is that they occur due to arrests at a school dance and taken to Sleepy Lagoon. They were enjoying a time of freedom only to have it quickly taken from them. The Chicano community has had an awful history with this Sleepy Lagoon, so Valdez wants to shed light on the issue. Furthermore, the Zoot Suit era is in full swing. This era in American history, more specifically Mexican-American history, was a time for the youth to find themselves and explore the world.This event support close-minded society, and the Chicano youth must realize they have to work to overcome the adversity.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
The dramatic question in Zoot Suit is: Will the Zoot Suit movement survive while facing the adversity of the majority? The whites are pushing back any form of social movement, and the Chicanos only want to find their place in society. The young Chicanos find themselves in their fashion, and the strength in their community. All odds seem to be against them, yet it is important that they continue to persevere. Henry feels that the world sees him as worthless, and if he falls to these sentiments the majority will indeed win.
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Henry seems to have this strong persona, but like any person he suffers from insecurities. The mind of Henry battles himself an makes him feel as though since he is different he is below the majority. This is essential, because Henry gives off this strong persona, but all he wants is to find a place for himself free of hate. Further along, he faces a major crossroads. He takes El Pachuco at his word but still feels as though something is missing and maybe it is wth his significant other. He wants to be accepted, and he begins this journey with Della but the arrival of Alice raises question in his mind. He is forced to face the two women and try to decide what he really wants. A smentioned before, Henry faces unwarranted hate and anger from the society in which he lives. The white population does not accept him, and it will not allow him to roam as a free person. Henry wants to be himself and free, yet society and the people around him make him question who he is and what he believes.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
Family in any Hispanic family is extremely important. Henry has a tight knit relationship with his family, and he relies on them for advice and support. Now a days, many see family as just a pert of life that comes then goes but yet this plays shows it as an integral part of any society and culture. Henry can learn from his predecessors, so he must make his family an important aspect of his life. Yet, family goes beyond just blood. Friendship often has this sense of family.Henry feels this with his gang, and he feels at home when he is with these guys who have struggled with similar issues in their lives. Family is less about bloody, but it is more about love and acceptance.